Dr. Thomas Taylor Shares Healthy Foods That Can Help Reduce Your Overall Caloric Intake

In order to lose unwanted weight, people who are struggling with obesity often have to resort to a lot of different methods until they find one that works. Some of the more common ones include working out, eating less, unique diets, and so on.

Others, however, take an even more aggressive approach and go as far as getting surgery.

Regardless of the strategy that one is using, the most convenient starting point will usually boil down to simply reducing caloric intake. Why? Because it requires no dramatic changes to one’s diet. On the contrary, it is a process whereby portions and calories are controlled for the purpose of achieving a healthier and more balanced lifestyle.

Why Healthy Foods That Reduce Caloric Intake Matter

According to an experienced bariatric surgeon, Dr. Thomas V. Taylor, reduction of caloric intake comes with a plethora of benefits. The first one is the fact that it allows one to still eat their typical meals that contain nutritional and tasty foods.

The only thing that changes is the breakdown of the types of foods that are consumed.

For instance, instead of a large order of french fries, one may have to replace them with a vegetable. In addition, this approach is a perfect way to trick the body into eliminating calories because it prioritizes food that take up space but have lower proportions of calories.

Over time, it leads to a significant reduction in weight because the body will turn to burning fat cells to obtain the calories not received through meals. So, what are some of the best foods that can be used for this purpose?

Popcorn

The fact that movie theaters rely on popcorn as their most successful snack for visitors is not completely unfounded from a scientific perspective. Of course, one should definitely not try to eat a ton of popcorn that is covered in butter and salt.

Instead, cooking popcorn on the stove with a bit of olive oil can be an outstanding snack that is not extremely high in calories. What it is, however, is a great way to curb hunger for hours at a time.

Naturally, everyone who decides to resort to this solution should be aware that any unnecessary additions will likely raise the caloric count. This includes various seasonings, butter, salt, and anything else sprinkled or poured over the popcorn.

Fish

Dr. Thomas Taylor further stresses the importance of increasing intake of lean proteins in one’s diet. Doing so will help minimize the feeling of hunger because lean proteins have a long-lasting effect on one’s stomach as the body takes a prolonged period of time to break them down.

So, while the actual caloric intake will remain surprisingly low, the feeling of fullness from the meal will be outstanding.

A great example of here would be fish. The reason why is that fish can be easily prepared in many different ways, tastes amazing without a plethora of add-on items, and carries an abundance of Omega 3 fatty acids. This makes fish a healthy alternative to higher calorie proteins like ribs or tri tip.

Oats

Just like the example of movie theater popcorn, there is also a reason why millions of Americans start their day with oats. This type of snack or meal delivers a much-needed dose of high-fiber calories that are packed with micronutrients often not found in popular diets.

In addition, oats are a perfect food to use at the beginning of the day as they will give the stomach something to work on for a number of subsequent hours. This may help curb appetite throughout the day or delay the painful feeling of complete hunger.

Thus, it will ultimately eliminate the need to consume excessive calories in the early morning.

Watermelon

On the list of foods that can help one feel full, watermelon would easily take the number one spot for being the most deceiving and outstanding option. Why? Because over 90 percent of its content is pure water.

So, although the person will still go through the motions of consuming an actual snack or watermelon meal, as much as 90 percent of that meal will be nothing but water that carries no significant caloric count. The remaining portion, however, will deliver a large number of fibers and micronutrients that help keep the body healthy.

Gum

Finally, one should not undermine the use of traditional snacking tools that help forget about hunger. The most obvious example would be gum! After all, it is hard to remember that one is hungry if their mouth is constantly chewing on something. Not to mention the fact that there are many gum options that carry very few calories.

The main benefit of chewing gum is that it can be helpful for those considered habitual or compulsive eaters. Many who struggle with overeating do so absentmindedly throughout their day. While chewing gum may not fully alleviate the feeling of being hungry, it can be useful for helping curb the habitual craving to eat between meals.